The 2024-25 winter season in the Heart of America Conference has entered the 2nd part of the basketball season with all HOA teams completed their mid-season tournaments and all the teams are putting together their final preparations for the home stretch into the postseason.
On the basketball courts, there are two teams still protecting undefeated seasons, both in the boys’ HOA as Ell-Saline and Moundridge both stand with 12-0 overall records, the Cardinals stand alone atop the HOA standings, however, as the Cardinals are 4-0 in HOA action while Moundridge has just two HOA games thus far this season.
In the HOA girls’ standings, Moundridge and Bennington share the top spot with identical 11-1, 3-0 records. Inman sits in 3rd place with a 9-2, 2-1 record. The Ell-Saline girls are currently in 9th place with a 1-11, 0-4 record.
Here is a look at what each HOA school and team has done this past week:
BENNINGTON
The Lady Bulldog basketball team defeated Republic County 47-27 on Thursday in the 2nd round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Berean Academy 46-39 on Friday in the championship game. The Lady Bulldogs defeated St. John’s Beloit 64-40 on Tuesday. … The Bulldog boys’ basketball team lost 47-44 on Thursday against Ell-Saline in the second round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Bulldogs lost 50-40 against Berean Academy on Friday to finish 4th in the tournament. The Bulldogs defeated St. John’s Beloit 79-70 on Tuesday.
ELL-SALINE
The Lady Cardinal basketball team earned its first victory of the season on Thursday with a 48-33 victory against Solomon in the 2nd round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Lady Cardinals lost 64-42 against Central Christian to finish in 6th place in the tournament. The Lady Cardinals lost 46-23 against Marion on Tuesday. … The Cardinal boys’ basketball team defeated Bennington 47-44 on Thursday in the second round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Cardinals defeated Elyria Christian 58-41 in the championship game on Friday. The Cardinals defeated Marion 72-32 on Tuesday. … The Lady Cardinal wrestling team finished in 14th place with 3.0 points on Friday in the Nickerson tournament. … The Cardinal boys’ wrestling team finished in 11th place with 36.0 points on Friday in the Nickerson tournament.
BEREAN ACADEMY
The Lady Warriors basketball team defeated Wichita Classical 43-35 on Thursday in the 2nd round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Lady Warriors lost 46-49 against Bennington in the championship game. The Lady Warriors defeated Sedgwick 45-16 on Tuesday. … The Warrior boys’ basketball team lost 35-32 against Elyria Christian on Thursday in the 2nd round of the Berean Academy tournament. The Warriors defeated Bennington 50-40 on Friday to finish 3rd in the tournament.
HUTCHINSON TRINITY
The Lady Celtic basketball team lost 55-26 against Smoky Valley on Thursday in the second round of the Sterling tournament. The Lady Celtics lost 60-36 on Friday against Lyons in the final round of the tournament. The Lady Celtics lost 50-36 against Smoky Valley on Tuesday. … The Celtic boys’ basketball lost 69-48 against Southeast of Saline on Thursday in the second round of the Sterling tournament. The Celtics defeated Kingman 70-36 in the final round on Friday. The Celtics defeated Smoky Valley 52-30 on Tuesday.
INMAN
The Lady Teuton basketball team defeated Central Plains 38-30 on Friday in the 2nd round of the St. John tournament. The Lady Teutons lost 67-53 against Little River in the championship game on Saturday. The Lady Teutons defeated Wichita Classical 59-35 on Monday. … The Teuton boys’ basketball lost 62-48 against Cimarron on Friday in the 2nd round of the St. John tournament. The Teutons defeated Wichita Classical 59-27 on Monday.
MARION
The Lady Warrior basketball team defeated Goessel 38-35 on Friday in the 2nd round of the Centre tournament. The Lady Warriors defeated Herington 47-34 in the championship on Saturday. The Lady Warriors defeated Ell-Saline 46-23 on Tuesday. … The Warrior boys’ basketball team defeated Douglass 62-39 on Friday in the 2nd round of the Centre tournament. The Warriors lost 57-41 against Rural Vista in the championship game on Saturday. The Warriors lost 72-32 against Ell-Saline on Tuesday. … The Lady Warrior wrestling team finished in 24th place with 0.0 points on Saturday in the Eureka tournament. … The Warrior boys’ wrestling team finished in 21st place with 11.0 points on Saturday in the Eureka tournament.
MOUNDRIDGE
The Lady Wildcat basketball team defeated Hillsboro 42-33 on Friday in the 2nd round of the Hillsboro tournament. … The Wildcat boys’ basketball team defeated Holcomb 49-45 in overtime on Friday in the 2nd round of the Hillsboro tournament. The Wildcats defeated Hesston 35-31 in the final round on Saturday. The Wildcats defeated Garden Plain 49-41 on Tuesday.
REMINGTON
The Lady Bronco basketball team defeated Eureka 64-60 in overtime on Friday in the second round of the Hillsboro tournament. The Lady Broncs lost 38-22 against Clay Center on Saturday in the final round. The Lady Broncos defeated Chaparral 57-27 on Tuesday. … The Bronco boys’ basketball team defeated Eureka 49-43 in the second round of the Hillsboro tournament on Friday. The Broncos lost 32-30 against Clay Center in the final round on Saturday. The Broncos were defeated 59-52 by Chaparral on Tuesday. … The Lady Bronco wrestling team finished in 11th place with 42.0 points on Friday in the Nickerson tournament. The Lady Broncos finished 10th with 62.0 points on Saturday in the Eureka tournament. … The Bronco boys’ wrestling team finished in 24th place with 3.0 points on Saturday in the Eureka tournament.
SEDGWICK
The Lady Cardinal basketball team lost 37-34 against Fairfield to finish in 4th place in the Reno County tournament. The Cardinals lost 45-16 against Berean Academy on Tuesday. … The Cardinal boys’ basketball team defeated Fairfield 49-41 on Friday to finish in 3rd place in the Reno County tournament. The Cardinals lost 60-27 against Medicine Lodge on Tuesday.
STERLING
The Lady Black Bear basketball team earned its first win of the season on Thursday when it defeated Lyons 39-26 in the second round of the Sterling tournament. The Lady Black Bears lost 33-27 against Smoky Valley on Friday to finish 6th in the tournament. … The Black Bear boys’ basketball team defeated Lyons 64-51 on Thursday in the second round of the Sterling tournament. The Black Bears lost 49-45 against Scott City in the championship game on Friday.
2024-25 Heart of America Girls Basketball Standings 11-man
HOA Overall
Team W L W L
Moundridge 3 0 11 1
Bennington 3 0 11 1
Inman 2 1 9 2
Marion 3 2 8 5
Remington 1 1 9 3
Berean Academy2 1 9 3
Sedgwick 1 2 3 7
Hutch Trinity 1 2 1 11
Ell-Saline 0 4 1 11
Sterling 0 3 1 11
Thursday, January 23
El Saline 48, Solomon 33 – Berean Academy tournament
Bennington 47, Republic County 27 – Berean Academy tournament
Berean Academy 43, Wichita Classical 35 – Berean Academy tournament
Sterling 49, Lyons 26 – Sterling tournament
Smoky Valley 55, Hutch Trinity 26 – Sterling tournament
Friday, January 24
Bennington 46, Berean Academy 39 – Berean Academy tournament
Central Christian 64, Ell-Saline 42 – Berean Academy tournament
Smoky Valley 33, Sterling 27 – Sterling Tournament
Lyons 50, Hutch Trinity 36 – Sterling Tournament
Inman 38, Central Plains 30 – St. John Tournament
Marion 38, Goessel 35 – Centre tournament
Moundridge 42, Hillsboro 33 – Hillsboro tournament
Remington 64, Eureka 60 OT – Hillsboro tournament
Fairfield 37, Sedgwick 34 – Pretty Prairie Tournament
Saturday, January 25
Marion 47, Herington 34 – Centre tournament
Little River 67, Inman 53 – St. John tournament
Clay Center 38, Remington 22 – Hillsboro tournament
Monday, January 27
Inman 59, Wichita Classical 35
Tuesday, January 28
Marion 46, Ell-Saline 23
Berean Academy 45, Sedgwick 16
Bennington 64, St. John’s Beloit 40
Smoky Valley 50, Hutch Trinity 36
Remington 57, Chaparral 27
2024-25 Heart of America Boys Basketball Standings 11-man
HOA Overall
Team W L W L
Ell-Saline 4 0 12 0
Moundridge 2 0 12 0
Sterling 2 0 9 2
Remington 2 0 9 3
Berean Academy2 1 8 4
Bennington 1 2 7 5
Hutch Trinity 1 2 3 9
Marion 1 4 6 7
Sedgwick 0 3 3 8
Inman 0 3 3 8
Thursday, January 23
Ell-Saline 47, Bennington 44 – Berean Academy tournament
Elyria Christian 35, Berean Academy 32 – Berean Academy tournament
Sterling 64, Smoky Valley 51 – Sterling tournament
SE of Saline 69, Hutch Trinity 48 – Sterling tournament
Friday, January 24
Marion 62, Douglass 39 – Centre tournament
Berean Academy 50, Bennington 40 – Berean Academy tournament
Ell-Saline 58, Elyria Christian 41 – Berean Academy tournament
Moundridge 46, Holcomb 45 OT – Hillsboro tournament
Remington 49, Eureka 33 – Hillsboro tournament
Sedgwick 46, Fairfield 41 – Pretty Prairie Tournament
Cimarron 62, Inman 48 – St. John Tournament
Scott City 49, Sterling 45 – Sterling Tournament
Hutch Trinity 70, Kingman 36 – Sterling Tournament
Saturday, January 25
Rural Vista 57, Marion 41 – Centre tournament
Clay Center 32, Remington 30 – Hillsboro tournament
Moundridge 35, Hesston 31 – Hillsboro tournament
Monday, January 27
Wichita Classical 59, Inman 27
Tuesday, January 28
Ell-Saline 72, Marion 32
Bennington 79, St. John’s Beloit 70
Moundridge 49, Garden Plain 41
Medicine Lodge 60, Sedgwick 27
Hutch Trinity 52, Smoky Valley 30
Chaparral 59, Remington 52